Members of the 2022 Tidioute Community Charter School National Archery in the Schools archery team are (front, from left): Caitlyn Banister, Arreanna Anderson, Taylor Blystone, Lynsey Arthur, and Allyson Spencer; and (back) Coach Chad Burek, Austin Connor, Connor Carnahan, Lexi Drukenbrod, Jolynn Durlin, and Coach Michael Patterson. Not pictured is Aaliyah Sumosky. Photo submitted to Times Observer

Several Tidioute Community Charter School students were right on target last weekend.

The school’s archery team competed in the National Archery in the Schools Program state tournament on Friday, March 11.The 10 Bulldogs joined a total of over 800 student archers at Penn State University.

Junior Lexis Drukenbrod led the Tidioute contingent with a score of 259 out of 300, including five bullseyes, finishing in 21st place among junior girls.

Classmates Arreanna Anderson (241) and Lynsey Arthur (240) battled each other and the rest of the field, finishing in 32nd and 33rd.

Senior Connor Carnahan led the Bulldog’s boys with a 228. Freshman Austin Connor scored a 216.

Senior Aaliyah Sumosky had two bullseyes on the way to a 220.

Junior Caitlyn Banister hit the bullseye four times and scored 207.

The youngest TCCS competitor was Taylor Blystone. She scored a 206, featuring five in the bullseye.

Junior Jolynn Durlin scored a 199 with one bullseye.

Freshman Allyson Spencer scored a 166.

“We were very proud of our shooters,” Coaches Michael Patterson and Chad Burek said.

“We just started this program in 2021, so all of our shooters are relatively new,” Patterson said. “They’ve been shooting before and after school since the beginning of October and they really deserve to be celebrated for their accomplishments at State College.”

Officially, the competition signaled the end of the shooters’ season.

“I don’t really want this to end,” Sumosky said.

That is a sentiment echoed by the rest of the team.

“If they let us, we will be back on the range next week preparing for next year,” Drukenbrod said. “Next year, we are going to qualify for the national tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.”

“We would like to thank all of the people that helped us this past year, like the Lindemuth family who donated a building for us to practice in and Higley’s Archery who maintained all of our equipment for free and donated a crossbow for our fundraiser,” Patterson said. “Without these people, these kids would never have had such an amazing opportunity.”

“We really tried to emphasize relaxing and taking your time,” Patterson said. “We wanted the kids to understand and appreciate what it takes to be a good archer.”

It wasn’t just about the sport.

“This was a rough school year for many of us, but taking these kids to states and working with them throughout the year was easily the highlight of my year,” he said.

The National Archery in the Schools Program is an in-school program aimed at improving educational performance among students in grades four through 12, Patterson said. “Through it, students are learning focus, self-control, discipline, patience, and the life lessons required to be successful in the classroom and in life.”